Chapters (67)
- Cover
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- PART TWO
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- PART THREE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- PART FOUR
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- Mailing list
- A Letter from Kathryn
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by Kathryn Croft
‘Only by email. House sale stuff. It goes through tomorrow, so I can finally move on. I wanted to wait until it’s sold and the money’s in my account before I start looking for something. I want to take my time, make sure it’s the right place for me. I think I’m driving Mel a bit mad, though. How about you? Have you heard from Rob?’
‘Actually, he did email me the other day, apologising for his behaviour. And he said he understood why I called the police about him.’
‘That sounds like the old Rob, doesn’t it?’ Abby says. ‘Less anger, more compassion.’
Sienna smiles. ‘Yes, it does.’
‘What about your house?’ Abby asks.
‘I’ve just had an offer this morning, actually. It’s a bit less than I wanted, but it’s a cash buyer with no chain, so I’m going to go for it.’
‘That’s great news. You could be out before January.’ She pauses. ‘Have you had a chance to think about my idea?’
When Abby first suggested that Sienna relocate to Ipswich, she said no. She’s never been there and wouldn’t know anyone other than Abby.
‘You’d meet people through me,’ Abby had insisted. ‘And you could set up your business there.’
Despite this being true, Sienna had resisted. Perhaps she and Abby needed to be out of each other’s lives. Then, as she’d begun to see things more clearly, it occurred to her that what happened had nothing to do with their friendship, and if anything, it was their friendship that helped them both through this.
‘I’m not sure,’ Sienna says, ‘I think I just need more time.’
Abby grabs her hand. ‘Okay, I understand. But you’ll love it there, I promise you.’
‘Are you and Mark okay?’
‘Time will tell. We’re taking things very slowly.’
‘Shall we go and get a coffee?’ Sienna suggests. ‘I think I want to say goodbye to this park now. It’s time.’
Abby smiles. ‘I can’t say I’m sorry to hear that.’
They leave together, and Sienna listens while Abby talks about her new job. It’s at the same school she worked at in Ipswich and, more remarkably, it’s her old deputy head post. By some coincidence, the woman who took over went on maternity leave and decided she didn’t want to go back to teaching.
This makes Sienna smile. People are always so focused on how good change is, and how we constantly need to make alterations in our lives, but maybe, sometimes, it’s okay for things to remain the same.